Haley Barbour on Government Growth

Mike Allen's Politico Playbook has a quote from a speech to be delivered today by the governor of Mississippi, Haley Barbour, a likely Republican presidential candidate:

People see clearly that a bigger government means a smaller economy. So, it's time we made economic growth, not government growth our top domestic priority. Let me say it again: Bigger government equals a smaller private economy. The private sector can't grow and create jobs if government sucks up all the money.

He says economic growth would not be achieved through "government boondoggles like taxpayer-subsidized high-speed rail or other pet projects" or by "having government take control of our automakers, financial sector, health care system and energy industry."

The Republican has ratcheted up his criticism of Obama over the past two years, but on Monday he was offering his most blistering critique yet of Obama's tenure: "Explosive spending, skyrocketing deficits, gargantuan debt, calls for record tax increases, government-run health care, out-of-control regulations and anti-growth energy policy."